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What you should consider before buying a fixer upper

­­­Fueled by the popularity of home renovations shows on HGTV and the DIY network, home buyers are touring houses with a fresh pair of eyes and an open mind. With median home prices in Rhode Island expected to rise, younger home buyers are taking the plunge on buying fixer uppers or ‘bare bones’ homes in the hopes that their investment will be worth it in the end. J. Christopher Real Estate Group cares about getting you into your dream house and wants to ensure you take certain considerations when buying a home that needs renovations.

There is another reason why home buyers are gravitating towards fixer uppers, according to Jarrod Lewis, owner of J. Christopher Real Estate Group. “Many Rhode Island homes have been around for a long time, but homes built in the 1990s with outdated designs and features are the ones primarily saturating the market,” Lewis said.

With a team of five real estate professionals, J. Christopher Real Estate Group understands that buying a home can be complex, especially when you’re considering buying a home that needs touch ups. In order to assist you in this important milestone, we have developed a list of things to consider before making an offer.

Check ‘comps’ for the area

Home buyers that have toured homes with real estate agents have probably heard the word ‘comps’ thrown around a few times. Comps is a short word for comparable prices around the same neighborhood. Real estate agents look at prices for similar homes — square feet, number of rooms, area code, and other factors — to determine whether you are paying a comparable price. If you know how much the house should be worth if it didn’t need repairs, you can make an offer that takes into account how much you will need to pay in remodeling costs. Ideally, if homes around the area are $250,000, and you know the house needs $50,000 in repairs, then it’s not unrealistic to offer $200,000 for the home.

Know when you need a professional

Home buyers should be careful about taking on projects they aren’t capable of doing themselves. Removing carpets, installing laminate flooring, painting and changing appliances are all DIY projects in which home owners can save money. For issues that involve plumbing, electrical work or home additions, call an appropriate professional because fixes can not only be dangerous, but they can also require permits and unforeseen expenses.

Factor in other costs

Depending on the home and the type of work that needs to be done, renovations can vary from $4,000 to over $50,000. You may have budgeted appropriately, but you should also consider the costs of eating out every day if you won’t have a functioning kitchen for a month. Besides these considerations, many contractors also suggest you put aside an additional 10 to 20 percent as a financial cushion if something goes wrong during the remodeling process like having to re-pipe the entire home.

Everything is a negotiation

Home owners often fail to realize that if they didn’t get the price they wanted for a home, they can still negotiate other aspects of the deal. You can suggest a number of fixes that need to be done before buying a house, or you can ask for the down payment to be partially, and in some cases completely, paid for by the seller. If you don’t have your heart set on a particular house, and the house has been on the market for several months, you may have some leverage to negotiate a better price. Without these conditions, however, the conversation can also go the other way and the seller can choose another buyer, so be careful how you approach any deals.

There is nothing wrong with buying a home that needs a cosmetic makeover or even a significant overhaul, but before getting involved in this process consider the tips mentioned above.

J. Christopher Real Estate Group wants to ensure clients understand what’s involved when buying a home that needs renovations. Call us at 401-830-6906 to learn more tips when buying a home that needs renovations or for any other real estate issues that concern you.

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Preparation is key for new home buyers looking to close the deal fast

From the real estate ads on the web to the open house signage sitting outside of that beautiful house you’ve been eying, first time home buyers are bombarded with information that can be overwhelming. Despite the wealth of information available, one of the least talked about topics is the emotions first time home buyers experience.  J. Christopher Real Estate Group understands that buying a home can be an exciting time. However, it’s also important that home buyers keep their emotions in check in order to make a logical home purchase.

“Buying a home is usually the largest financial decision someone will ever make, yet many home buyers are unprepared for what’s involved and therefore aren’t well equipped to make a good purchasing decision. Besides the heartaches that can result, unprepared home buyers may end up spending more money than they initially thought,” says Jarrod Lewis, owner of J. Christopher Real Estate Group.

J. Christopher Real Estate Group has a team of dedicated professionals that can improve your home buying experience and is committed to ensuring home buyers are happy with their decision. In order to assist you, we’ve developed a checklist for you to keep in mind before you officially kick off your house hunting.

Know your maximum price point

We know a home buyers’ time is valuable and when realtors have a good idea of a buyers’ maximum price point, we can narrow down the search and move the process more quickly.

Leave your emotions at the door

Buying a house is a business decision, and one that will impact your day-to-day living. While the prospects of moving into a new home are exciting, it becomes problematic when it influences the decisions you make. Home buyers who ‘fall in love’ with a specific house can find themselves overlooking major problems.

Get a pre-approval letter

Arguably, one of the saddest things that can happen for new home buyers is being denied for a home mortgage. Since the housing bubble, banks have become more stringent in offering mortgages to people of all backgrounds. After a long and grueling process to find the right home, many home buyers are denied mortgages at the last stage. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as not being at the same employer enough time; recently making a large purchase that bankers feel will get in the way of paying mortgages; or having large student loans that can interfere with your financial obligations.

Have an emergency fund for unexpected costs

Bankers make an effort to ensure you are not strapped for cash immediately after paying the down payment, realtor fees and other costs. This is a strategic decision because they have loaned you money and want to ensure payments are made on time. Because of this, banks want to make sure you have a sizable amount equal to a minimum of 6 months of mortgage payments stashed in the bank.

Practice budgeting for the real thing

A mortgage is a financial decision for the long haul. Many home buyers might not be accustomed to the financial obligation when they sign a 15 to 30-year mortgage. The transition is a little bit easier if you’ve been paying rent in the same amount every month for years. Additionally, it might be worthwhile to put away money that is equal to the amount you will be paying in preparation.

Think about your current living situation 

New home buyers rarely give a second thought to their current landlords when purchasing a home. This often places landlords in financial peril because of a lack of communication. When you get a firm timeline for the mortgage process, we’d advise you to alert your landlord the next time rent is due that you have found your new home.

Find a good realtor

Real estate agents and home buyers develop special relationships during the home buying process. Although you may not realize it, realtors are learning your preferences on home styles that interest you, different color paints you like, and patterns you didn’t even realize you dislike. We will do whatever it takes to meet you at your convenience.

This is where we can help.

There are many moving parts to consider before deciding to buy a home. J. Christopher Real Estate Group wants to ensure clients are well informed before house hunting so they are adequately prepared throughout the process.

Speak with a J Christopher Real Estate agent today at 401-830-6906 to learn how we can help you make your home buying dream a reality.

 

Posted in: Uncategorized

About Us

Built for people like us.
Licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, J.Christopher Real Estate Group is the go-to real estate solution for people who value hard work and results. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or you’re selling your long-time family home, you’re always our top priority because you’re our client.

Led by Jarrod Lewis, J.Christopher Real Estate Group is a team of professionals working to provide our clients with personalized customer service backed by years of trusted, industry experience.

We treat people like we expect to be treated, and we understand the value of hard work. This means we will be there for you at night and on the weekends to answer your questions and guide you through the process.

Testimonials

Jarrod and his team were incredible. We worked with Jarrod and Lori on purchasing our first home and it was by far the best experience working with anyone on anything, I've ever had. I was confident knowing they were taking care of us throughout the home buying experience, and even now, after purchasing our home,

Justin Lizotte

We recently closed on our house last week and let me tell you how FLAWLESS and EFFORTLESS the process was with Jarrod's team! This was our first ever home buying experience and I am not sure what people say is so "tough" or a "nightmare". We worked with Erica and she was a rock-star throughout

Alyssa Toth

Lori McVey was nothing short of an excellent and amazing realtor. She is very knowledgeable and understanding and was conscientious to my situation, as well as the entire process of home buying and what to look for and do, etc. When I needed her to come through on something she did so and then some.

Kyle White

Can't say enough about Jarrod and his team. Honest and straight forward, I got a a strong sense of his integrity when I first met him and my first impression was correct. He and Stefanie were always available immediately when I called them. No waiting endlessly for a response or wondering why they hadn't called.

Kevin McGrath

Contact Us

986 Hartford Avenue Johnston RI 02919

401-830-6906
info@jchristophergroup.com
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